Collapsible crate



oct. 27, 1925. I 1,559,024

A. G. WOODWARD f GOLLAPSIBLE CRATE Filed April 28. 1924 J .7 l v .la v.5 4

I INVENTOR.

H/l/ Graf /ooduavrc] ATTo Patented Oct. 27, 1925:

i UNITED *STATES COLLAPSIBL'E CRATE.

Y Applicatiim ed vSerialV o; n l

To all whom 'it may concern: j(

Be it known that I, ALvAHk Giani i'ooni- WARD, acitizenofthe UnitedStates, and ref sidingat Detroit, fcounty of State of Michigan, have`invented a new an Improved CollapsibleQrate, of which the following isa specification.'

This invention relates to collapsible crates, and has for oneof itsobject sthe provision of a crate which, w hen collapsed, forms cbo'dnnent o'f 4my invention'.

Figure 1 is a` perspective viewfof the crate. 1

Figure`2 end portion of Vthe same of Figure 1.4 f

Figure 3 is a front view', partifaflly in ver tical? section, of the boxformed by collapsing of the crate.

Figure i's a' pe'rspectiv'e'view of one' of the wall forming units ofthe crate.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary verticalsection, talrer'nf line 5 5A fFigurefl, showing one of the connections between said wall formingunits.

In these views,'the reference character 1 designates the bottom memberof the crate, said member being formed preferably of boards. Through thecorners of said member are passed the headed lower endsof four two-partrods 2, 3 the two parts of said rods being pivotally connected as shownat 4:, midway of the height of the crate. 5 desigis a' vverticalsectional View of an taken' on' line4 22 nates a plurality ofwall-forming units each consisting of a rectangular open frame, havingapertures 6 at its corners to receive the rods 2, 3. The upper part 3 ofeach of said rods has its free end headed, as indicated at 7.

To the rear portion of the uppermost wall unit 5, a cover 8 is hinged asindicated at 9, a fastener 10, of any suitable construction Wayneanbeing provided te daahably s'eufe' Said' cover to thefront l portion ofsaidl unit. l

` .VYhen tli' e u nits .5 occupy their spaced crategforniing relation,'shwn Figurel 1,' spacer. .blocks 11 are V4engaged 4betweel'i lsaidunits'. l 115m @2111; PiOPeIly spaced... ,It is. preferred to providefoursets of these blocks, each set 4being rigidly scuredto a bar 12. Thefour bars 12 are hinged'l as Iin-r dicated.' @t 15.10 th@ betteln,'member lfadjacent its corners, the hinge axes being parallel` so thatwhen not in use, s ai' i bars may b e swungy similarly down ,upon ,the,bottom 1,

adjacent ,tov'opposite sidewalls of ther crate (see Figure 3).

The top and bottom faces .o'f thefbflocks 11, converge slightlytowardthe free `ends of said blocks Vso thatin swinging said bars totheir upright positions o f use, the Vblocks 'may be freely enteredbetween the units 5.

rihe free ends of the bars 12 are bent as in-r dicated atlllto y formabutnTents which, when said v bars are in upright position, engage above.the top-most unit' 5 holding `theseveral units from any relativeupwardshifting.

TNT'

In' the use ofthe describedreceptaclelas a crate, the bars' 12 extendvertically adjacent the walls, andthe spacers lproject between the units`5' holding rthe latter.uniformlyY apar'tgapredetermined distance. T hebent ends 14 of said barsengage above the unitsI resisting a-1iy;f;orcetendingy Ito', ,force said .f

unift'sapart. The ends Mare againgbent tercesses in the bottom of thecover to posi-4 tively prevent the bars 12 from swinging inwardly ontheir hinges.

The four two-part rods 2, 3 hold the units 5 from relative'lateralmovement, andthe heads 7 of said rods assist in preventing said unitsfrom escaping endwise from said rods.

To collapse the describe-d crate, the cover 8 is swung up suliicientlyto release the upper ends of the bars 12,'whereupon the latter may beswung upon their hinges 13 to rthe horizontal positions adjacent thebottom 1, seen in Figure 3.

This permits the units 1 to slide down on the rods 2, 3, to inally seatone upon another, thus producing closed walls. Under these conditions,the upper members 3 of the rods 2, 3, lie completely above the units 5and may be swung to the horizontal positions, shown by Figure 3. Thecover 8 is now closed down upon the receptacle and fastened, andseparation of the units 5 vertically is positively prevented by thedownturned rod parts 3.

It is evident that the inclined top and bottom faces of the blocks 1lfacilitate their insertion between the units 5.

From the foregoing description it will appear that the device is verysimple and eiiicient in operation, will not easily get out of order, andprovides a device which accomplishes the objects described. l

`While it will be apparent that the illustrated embodiment of myinvention herein disclosed is well calculated to adequatelyfulfill theobjects and advantages primarily stated, it is to be understood that theinv-ention is susceptible to variation, modification and change withinthe spirit and scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In a crate, the combination with bars forming the walls of the crate,of spacers insertable between said bars, and members carrying saidspacers pivotally secured to the crate bottom to permit a ready removalof said spacers Jfrom between said bars.

2. A crate having its side walls formed by open Jframes normally spacedapart and movable into engagement to transform the crate into a box. y

3. In a crate a plurality of wall units each comprised by an openrectangular frame, a set of spacers removably engageable between saidframes, and a member supporting said spacers adjustable to a non-useposition within the crate to permit said frames to engage each other andto form a closed box.

4. In a crate, normally spaced bars forming the walls thereof, spacersnormally holding said bars apart, members carrying said spacers adaptingthem for group removal from between the bars, and rods upon which saidbars are slidable to engage each other and to form closed walls, whensaid spacers are removed.

5. In a crate, bars Jforming the walls thereof, two part rods looselyconnecting said bars the parts of said rods being pivotally connected,and spacers removably engageable between said bars, the bars beingslidable downwardly to engage the lower parts ot said rods when thespacers are removed and the upper parts of the rods being then adaptedto swing on said pivotal connections to retain the bars upon the lowerparts of said rods.

6. In a crate, Va plurality of open rectangular frames forming the cratewalls, sets of spacers normally holdingV said frames apart, and` memberscarrying said sets of spacers, adapting them for group removal frombetween said frames.

7. In a crate,`a plurality of open rectangular frames forming the cratewalls, a bottom member, and means attaching said frames to said bottomadapting them for a movement Jfrom said bottom to a spaced relation ortoward said bottom to a closedwall relation.

8. In a crate,.a plurality of open rectangular frames forming the cratewalls, bottom and top members, the latter hingedly connected to thetop-most frame, means attaching said frames to said bottom adapting them'for a'movement from said bottom to a spaced relation or toward saidbottom to a closed-wall relation, bars hinged to the bottom member otlsaid crate and adapted to swing to positions adjacent opposite walls ofthe crate, and a set of spacer members carried by each bar engageablebetween said frame members to maintain their spaced relation, the covermember being engageable with said bars in its closed position to holdthe bars in vertical position.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand.

ALVAI-I GRAY WOODVVARD.

